Inspiration drawn from letters, journals, historical sources, and?essential vehicles of women's storytelling through the years?quilts fills this narrative re-creation of the history of the West from the time of the early pioneers to the present day. The purpose of quilts and the art of quilting provide a window into the lives of these women, their friendships, and their sorrows. Quilts provided warmth and occasionally served as death shrouds during the gold rush years. They were nailed to the walls and floors of rough-hewn cabins of shanty mining settlements. Quilting bees provided a rare opportunity for female fellowship at the turn of the century. The voice of a masterful storyteller brings to life the heroic and heartbreaking stories of generations of women in this sensitive and artistic portrait.

Sandra Dallas' profile page

Povy Kendal Atchison's profile page

Nanette Simonds' profile page

Sandra Dallas is the author of The Persian Pickle Club; Alice's Tulips, a finalist for the Women Writing the West Willa Award and the Colorado Book Award; Buster Midnight’s Café; The Diary of Mattie Spenser, a finalist for the 1998 Western Writers of America Best Western Novel; and The Chili Queen. She is the author of nine nonfiction books about the West, including Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Camps and Sacred Paint, winner of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Wrangler Award. She is a former staff writer for Business Week. She lives in Denver, Colorado. Povy Kendal Atchinson is a photographer. She lives in Golden, Colorado. Nanette Simonds is the president of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. She lives in Denver, Colorado.